


Demons Don't Like Children

by outillthesunup



Category: Naruto
Genre: Actually kinda fluffy, Founders Era (Naruto), M/M, Naka River, No Beta, Senju Tobirama Is Adorable, Senju Tobirama Is Such A Mom, Uchiha Kagami Is Adorable, Warring States Era (Naruto), barely there mention of rabid wolf, mostly action
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28015107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outillthesunup/pseuds/outillthesunup
Summary: Time slowed down as the wolf neared, its jaws opening, inches from Kagami.Shikami shrieked.Madara gathered chakra into his feet, knees bending to jump-And a hand shot out from a crack in the rock wall behind Kagami and yanked him back into the crevice.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Comments: 10
Kudos: 423





	Demons Don't Like Children

“Someone help! Somebody help ple _ase_!”

A hysterical wail tore through the midday bustle of the Uchiha compound. Everyone in the immediate vicinity snapping to attention, reflexes long since sharpened to a fine point, neither civilian nor shinobi exempt from the repercussions of years and years of war.

“My baby, my precious baby! I can’t find him! _I can’t find my Kagami!”_

Tension in the air grew to an almost suffocating presence and a frenzied panic took over the crowd. Instincts kicked in and hushed murmurs rose to a roar, Sharingans’ flaring to life, jerking rapidly from side to side. Individual voices drowning out in a slough of questions, each louder than the last.

“Quiet.” Madara snapped as he shoved to the middle of the crowd, followed closely by his younger brother and heir, Uchiha Izuna, both sweaty and panting slightly from a particularly vigorous training session. “What's going on?” His eyes narrowed and his lips turned down in a deep frown as he scanned his surroundings for a hint of whatever had caught his agitated clansmen in such a riot.

“Madara-sama! Please, I can’t find Kagami! I can’t sense him anywhere in the compound!” Uchiha Shikami wailed, rushing forward and grabbing at Madara's arms in a near crushing grip. He hid a wince of pain even as he straightened from his slouch in an instant, eyebrows furrowing. Combined with his overwhelming mop of hair and fearsome scowl, his face took on a frightening appearance.

“When was the last time you saw him?” He barked, already stretching out his chakra to scan the compound for the little boy.

“This morning after breakfast! He said he was going to play with his friends! I’ve looked everywhere, nobody’s seen him!” She sobbed, nails digging into his arms as she clutched him tighter.

“Form search parties,” Madara ordered, raising his voice to the crowd, “comb the forest through. Now!”

Izuna jolted into action at his side and began organizing and dispersing search parties. Madara turned back to Shikami and lowered his voice, “we will find him Shikami-san.” He reassured, though he couldn’t bring himself to promise Kagami’s safe return, he wasn’t foolish enough to give anyone such false reassurances in times of war, even a hysterical mother.

He gently dislodged her fingers and turned to head for the gate and join the search when she clutched at his sleeve once more, “I want to come along. Please Madara-sama,” She begged.

He studied her for a minute wondering if this was the right choice before he nodded his head at her. “Alright. Come. We’ll head west.”

\-------------

Madara flew through the forest ducking under branches and jumping over boulders. His chakra was spread out all the way to the very limit of his capabilities, scrambling to pick up anything strange or amiss that might give them a clue to Kagami’s whereabouts.

Endless possibilities flitted through his head at a dizzying pace, each one worse then the last. They were fast approaching a distance that was too far for a child Kagami’s age to have traveled on his own. Any further and they would have to assume the worst.

Madara’s eyes flickered upwards in a silent plea to whatever Kami was listening, even as his heart was slowly sinking in his chest.

_Please, at least let him be dead rather than in the hands of bloodline hunters._

Because there was no fate more gruesome than being at the mercy of those monsters.

Just as his small party was jumping over a tiny stream, a flare of chakra surged through the air and he exhaled in relief, frown already lifting- that was Izuna, they must have located Kagami- before he realized where exactly the flare had come from and the blood drained from his face. Next to him Shikami sobbed in despair.

As one the small group turned and headed for the Senju border.

\-----------

Madara neared the Naka River, the ugly feeling in his stomach threatening to overflow with every step. His chakra senses were going haywire, straining to locate Izuna and his search party. It had come from just near the bend in the river where the rapids grew to a frightening speed, where not even Madara would risk crossing, ability to walk on water or not.

_A flicker to the left._

_There!_

“This way!” He turned sharply.

Izuna was racing along the very edge of the river, search party hot on his heels, and absolutely no sign of Kagami.

His heart squeezed as the implication settled in and a slow bubbling anger began to build in his chest, kept in check only by the steadily fading threads of hope that maybe, maybe there was an explanation and Kagami was still alive. That he wasn’t another too-young victim caught in this kami-forsaken war, that he hadn’t been slaughtered in cold blood like so many of their clansmen, like his own younger brothers, at the bloodthirsty, filthy hands of the Senju.

(Distantly a small spark of betrayal flashed through him. He’d thought Hashirama was different, he’d thought they had put an end to the child killings, like Madara had, first thing after he had become clan head. Had Hashirama made a fool of him? Had all those times when they were fighting and Hashirama was yelling about peace been a farce and a trick, a trap, like Izuna said? A small part of Madara didn’t, _couldn’t_ believe that Hashirama would allow this, but if Kagami was indeed dead, than Madara promised himself, he would never again hold back over some misguided notion for a foolish dream of peace as a child. He would show the Senju exactly why he fought Hashirama and Hashirama alone.)

Crimson eyes flashed and began spinning wildly, in an instant everything around him sharpened down to the finest details and time slowed.

“They’re running along the rapids, be alert.” Madara warned, snatching his gunbai out of its holster.

They burst through the bushes and skidded to the left, only about a hundred or so paces behind Izuna and catching up fast. Madara frowned when neither eyes nor chakra sense could pick up any sign of Senju on either side of the river. His eyes flicked to Izuna, even as a small movement out of the corner of his eye caught the edge of his attention and his senses narrowed in on a tiny chakra signature- up ahead Izuna was jumping from rock to rock, eyes trained with a laser focus on the far side of the river on-

His eyes flew back to the movement on the opposite side of the riverbank and-

Kagami.

 _Kagami_.

A strangled gasp pulled itself from Shikami's throat when she spotted him on the other side of the Naka river- rapids thundering past at a nauseous pace- running for his life, from a mangy, near rabid looking wolf, mere paces behind him.

Kagami was screaming in terror as he tripped and stumbled along the Senju side of the river bank, only just stopping from plummeting to his death in the unforgiving depths of the river below, strong and wide enough to carry entire trees with ease.

Madara's eyes widened in horror, an incessant buzzing sound ringing in his ears as his heart threatened to burst from his chest. Adrenaline crashed through his veins and he reached an almost frantic speed, chasing after Izuna who was keeping pace with Kagami. Madara’s eyes snapped to the other side desperately trying to map out any possible ways over- two Senju skirmish free months be damned- and his heart leapt into his throat.

Up ahead a solid rock wall loomed on the Senju side, leaving only a narrow strip of land between the rushing rapids and Senju territory. The thunder of falling water just around the bend filling the air with its deafening rumble.

Madara felt panic welling up when Kagami didn’t turn away from the river edge, and headed straight for the narrow path.

Straight for the dead end.

Shikami screamed. Her voice swallowed up in the thundering rapids before it reached more than a few feet. Throwing all sense out the window she bolted to the river ledge and jumped.

With lightning fast reflexes Izuna’s hand shot out and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her back before she was more than a foot from the ground and pulled her against his chest as she struggled with all her might, his arms holding her fast.

Madara swung his gunbai back into its holster, snatched a kunai and prepared himself to throw or to leap, whichever, anything really- just as Kagami turned at the small curve in the river bank and his little eyes widened in fright.

Time slowed down as the wolf neared, its jaws opening, lips pulling up over razor sharp teeth, head stretching forward, inches from Kagami.

Shikami shrieked.

Madara gathered chakra into his feet, knees bending to jump-

And a hand shot out from a crack in the rock wall behind Kagami and yanked him back into the crevice. The wolf's teeth closed on thin air and it slipped on the wet surface and plummeted down into the river with a howl.

\----------

Tobirama clutched at the little Uchiha boy in his arms, heart racing in his chest. A second later and he might’ve been too late. Glancing down he cuddled the boy closer when he caught a glimpse of small teardrops rolling down his rounded cheeks. He couldn’t be more than three or four.

The boy grasped at Tobirama's fur with his tiny fingers and buried his face into it as heartfelt sobs wrecked his little frame.

“It’s alright, little precious. You’re safe now. I got you. I got you.” He crooned, rubbing the toddler’s back. “You’re safe now.” He repeated till the little chest stopped heaving and the sobs faded to whimpers.

When Tobirama had first noticed the little chakra signature frighteningly close to the rushing water he had been in his lab. He’d been neck deep in scrolls on sealing arts and sealing theory when he’d distractedly sent a pulse of his chakra out to the surrounding area and had the shock of his life.

He’d frozen, eyes wide as he had focused in on the little signature, rapidly scanning the surrounding area for any Uchiha, any at all within a five mile radius. The closest border patrol was a good two hours south from the- the little boy, he affirmed with his chakra- and would in no way reach the boy in time if anything happened to him, much less notice that he was there. That was the last string holding him back then he was tearing through the forest before he could remind himself that this was in fact, an enemy child. (But who was he kidding, Tobirama had never been able to resist children anyway.)

He snapped back to the present when the shock of the Uchiha chakra signatures started leaking into unease when their little Uchiha failed to show his face after more than a minute.

“Do you want your mom? Want to go find your mom?” He asked in a soft voice, bending his head to meet the toddler’s eyes. He wiped the tears from the boy’s face and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his tiny forehead.

The boy glanced up at him, hiccupping, mouth still quivering, and nodded quickly before burying his face back into Tobirama’s chest.

“Alright then. We’ll go find her,” he whispered, he wrapped his arm under the toddler’s knees and lifted him up as he stood.

Tobirama was no fool, he knew exactly what- or rather _who_ was waiting for him out there. He’d recognize Madara and Izuna's chakra anywhere. He’d put two and two together and realized they were most likely a search party and the _hysterical female_ chakra signature was the boy’s own mother (their chakra spoke of familial ties it was only logical to assume so).

At the moment they were too shocked to move, after his somewhat bizarre rescue of the Uchiha boy, but it wouldn’t deter them forever, even now their chakra shifted from unease back into panic and worry.

Tobirama took a deep breath, and stepped out from the crevice into open view, the toddler’s face still buried in his fur collar.

\----------

Madara stiffened when he caught a glimpse of fluffy white just as he managed to separate the chakra of the thundering rapids with the _cool, crashing of waves in a seemingly endless ocean_. Even as the red eyes and thick, gleaming fur came into view, he knew exactly who it was that was holding onto Kagami. Despair flooded his system and the tethered, worn piece of string clutching unto any leftover hope snapped.

The White Demon.

The White Demon had _Kagami_.

Sweet, precious, little Kagami with a smile brighter than the sun and an unruly mop of curls for hair.

Madara didn’t dare move, afraid that any sudden movement could mean the swift death of the little toddler. His heart was pounding, the tomoe in his eyes spinning like crazy. Next to him Izuna cursed, hopelessness clouding his face. He knew firsthand how ruthless the Senju was and knew very well that should the Senju choose to end Kagami’s life he could do so thrice before any one of them could even get close.

In Izuna's arms Shikami began to sob again, struggling futilely to escape his grasp to get to her baby. Izuna tightened his grip, lest they loose her too to the Senju Demon.

Both parties stood at the opposite sides of the river staring at each other, neither daring to move. The wind rustled through the trees, barely a sound to be heard over the roar of the water. A minute passed, maybe two.

Tobirama shifted his grip on the toddler and as one the Uchiha tensed, whether to fight or to defend, he didn’t know.

In a somewhat vain attempt at defusing the situation, he glanced around looking for a safe way over to the other side. He could sense the Uchiha becoming more tense with every second he held the little boy in his arms.

There was no possible way over at this end of the river unless he wanted to go all the way around past the rock wall and the waterfall. He’d have to go back the way they came, there had to be a safe crossing point somewhere close, after all, the little boy _had_ found a way over on his own.

Slowly, so as not to spook the wild Uchiha, he rotated on his heels and started a slow track back along the river bank, making sure to keep near the edge before they jumped to conclusions.

At the opposite side, Madara mirrored Tobirama as he slowly turned and as one the two shinobi matched their paces with each other as they trudged down along the edge of the river. After a few steps the Uchiha search party started moving along with them, tense and on edge. Izuna released Shikami from his arms, whom had stopped struggling the instant Tobirama had shifted to move, and with a gentle but firm grasp, he took her by the bicep and followed along with the others.

The walk seemed to drag on forever, Madara was high-strung, chakra scanning and stretching and searching for any hint of an ambush. He scowled deeper with every step a hidden Senju patrol failed to jump out at him. Behind him Izuna was scanning the surroundings as well with an intensity that could’ve melted steel.

The White Demon came to a stop at a point where the opposite riverbanks were only a few meters apart and joined together by a fallen tree easily four feet in diameter. The Demon turned to face the Uchiha as he shifted Kagami onto his hip.

“You,” he pointed at Shikami, “we will walk together and meet in the middle where I will hand him over. The rest of you back away and keep your hands where I can see them.” His eyes narrowed at them as he spoke, daring them to disagree.

“ _I_ will come to meet you.” Madara scowled, eyes flashing.

“The boy's mother will come and no one else.” The Senju replied with finality. Madara took a moment to wonder how he could possibly know with such certainty that Shikami was Kagami’s mother, much less whether she was present. But the silent message was clear.

_If you want him then you’ll do as I ask._

Madara clenched his teeth, chakra flaring in anger, he glared at Tobirama with barely controlled rage.

Tobirama’s cold gaze didn’t falter.

(After a moment Madara realized with a jolt that those piercing, blood red ( ~~exquisite, lovely~~ ) eyes were meeting his own, Sharingan still spinning.)

He stepped back, signaling at Izuna to let Shikami go and for the rest to do as the Senju had asked.

 _If he tries anything_ , Madara swore, _the Demon would find a kunai between his ~~(pretty)~~ eyes before he can so much as think to regret it._

The Uchiha backed up, forming a loose semi-circle around the tree stump. Shikami was eyeing the white-haired Senju like she couldn’t believe what was happening, before she stepped up to the aged, weathered log and waited for the Senju to reach his own side of the makeshift bridge.

As one they shuffled to the middle of the trunk, steps feather light and coated with chakra to stick to the slippery surface. With but a few feet between them they both came to a stop, Shikami stiff with anxiety and the Senju an unreadable mask.

Tobirama’s eyes shifted from the Uchiha down to the little boy’s chocolaty brown curls and his gaze softened. He stroked the toddler’s back in slow, soothing motions before he murmured, “he’s asleep.”

Meeting eyes with the boy’s mother he shuffled closer careful not to jostle the little bundle in his arms.

Shikami reached out almost instinctively and buried her fingers into his dark curls, running her nails along his scalp in relief, as she snaked her hand around her baby’s waist. Kagami let out a sigh as he was encased in warmth from both sides, and snuggled deeper into their arms.

Madara’s eyes widened at the baffling scene before him.

_Not possible._

_The Senju Demon does_ not, _can_ not _like children, much less Uchiha children_ , he thought almost desperately.

Tobirama ignored the disbelieving stares of the sharingan and gently turned the little Uchiha in his arms towards his mother, who shifted so Tobirama could lay the tiny chubby cheeks onto her shoulder. Her arms wrapped around her baby and she pulled him close, tears of joy gathering in her eyes.

“You got a pretty one right there.” Tobirama crooned, fingers stroking the tiny toddler’s hair before they shifted to cup his cheek. “What’s his name?” He whispered.

Shikami met his eyes for a moment before she seemed to decided on something.

“Kagami.”

A small smile graced his lips and he leaned down to press a kiss against Kagami’s forehead.

“Keep him safe.” He touched her shoulder gently before he turned around and disappeared into the trees.

\----------

It was already a month and a half after the Kagami Incident and Madara still couldn’t forget the gentle smile that had tugged at Senju Tobirama’s lips as he had stroked little Kagami’s hair. Madara wasn’t sure what to think of the whole shebang, and he could see it was weighing on the minds of the rest of the Uchiha clan as well.

_Why would the Senju do that?_

It was common knowledge that he hated _any_ and _all_ Uchiha, so why would he go out of his way to not only save the life of an Uchiha boy, but return him to his mother as well?

The first few weeks they had been waiting on edge for whatever plan the Senju Demon had concocted to finally rear its ugly head, but as they had reached the one month mark and had seen neither hide nor hair of the White Demon, everyone began to realize that there most likely _was no_ nefarious purpose to the Senju's actions.

And with that realization came the uncomfortable air and uncertainty that they had been wrong about the Demon. Because no demon would risk themselves to save an enemy, not even a child.

Shikami was the first of many who took to the revelation like a duck to water. She absolutely refused to hear anything insulting or insinuating about the White Demon whatsoever, and would simply ignore whoever spoke to her and walk away. Kagami kept asking anyone he encountered where his nii-san with the white hair was. It was as adorable as it was vexing.

After the sudden realization of the past month, Madara found himself contemplating taking up Hashirama’s offer of peace more seriously. Previously, the biggest deciding factor against it had been the _mere presence_ of the White Demon in the Senju clan. But now that they were all re-evaluating the ‘truth' of Senju Tobirama, the peace treaty was more probable then it ever would be.

“Izuna.” Madara called, distractedly.

“Oh dear, it that the thinking pose? Don’t hurt yourself Aniki!”

Madara scowled at Izuna, and briefly considered when he’d last taken Izuna for a plunge in the koi pond, before he became serious again.

“Notify the clan elders. We’re having a meeting tomorrow at noon.” He said simply, eyes studying Izuna's face.

Izuna sobered immediately. “So you’re going to do it.” It wasn’t a question.

They stood searching each others eyes for a tense moment before Izuna sighed, shoulders slumping. “How will you convince the elders?” Izuna whispered.

“I won’t ask them.” Madara said after a moment. “I’ll _tell_ them.”

Izuna studied Madara for a minute longer before he turned and left the room without a word.

Madara exhaled and his shoulders relaxed from their stiff posture as if an unbearably heavy burden had just been lifted from them. A smile formed.

Izuna would support him in this, and that was all he needed to hear to put his worries to rest.

\---------

Two months later and Madara was leading a diplomatic party for the first formal peace talks with the Senju.

The party consisted of himself, Izuna, Hikaku, and two clan elders, much to his displeasure. He’d discreetly tried to ditch them but they’d caught on to what he was doing before he got too far. Thank kami those two were one of the more reasonable ones.

In the distance a somewhat decent-sized tent stood on the agreed place of meeting. Only a tent and not a shack or a cabin, though, as Hashirama had wanted to build, because the Elders had flat out refused one.

 _Honestly it’s not like he_ needed _the wood of the building to kill them all with a twitch of his hand._

Madara rolled his eyes at the stupidity.

In the distance he saw the flap of the tent open and a frantically waving, smiley Hashirama was yelling a boisterous greeting.

This time the eyes rolled Madara.

\--------

Senju Tobirama was an enigma. He didn’t speak often, but when he did, everyone immediately quieted down and listened, because it was clear he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. He did this strange clicking-tapping thing with his nails when Hashirama missed something and like a well trained puppy, Hashirama would smoothly direct the conversation towards whatever subject or issue had been neglected. The pair worked like a well oiled machine. Though it may have been clear that Hashirama _was_ the system, it was Tobirama in fact who _ran_ the system.

Madara often found himself staring at Tobirama, lost in thought, distracted by all the little details he had missed those many past years when he’d seen him as nothing but the demon his reputation had painted.

_They’d been fools, all of them. The white haired Senju was so, so much more._

\---------

Seven months into the new village and Madara realized he _liked_ Tobirama.

When Izuna found out he’d laughed in Madara’s face and told him that he didn’t just like him, he was absolutely _whipped_ for him. Which Madara obviously denied even though he knew that if Tobirama would have asked for his _bloody_ gun _bai_ for a wall hanging he would’ve tripped over himself to give it to him (But Tobirama would never do that because he knew how much Madara’s gunbai meant to him because he was just sweet like that).

Both of them still found every possible chance to argue with each other, though, even after the building of the village, but to anyone who looked close enough they would realize that it was in fact _banter_ and not a general discord.

The entirety of the Uchiha clan had pick up on this almost as soon as it had developed and everyone stupid enough to risk their life for a little fun teased Madara to hell and back.

(And if it took him three months to figure out exactly _why_ they were teasing him, nobody needed to know. Though he was pretty sure Izuna knew, the bastard.)

Much to the amusement (and secret adoration) of the Uchiha clan, Tobirama came over regularly to see Kagami and play with him, and Madara somehow always gravitated towards him when he did.

It was one such day when Tobirama was playing around with Kagami outside in the streets, when Madara, who was pretending to read a scroll under a nearby tree, spoke up.

“Join me for dinner.” He demanded, somehow managing to sound angry despite his best attempts.

Somewhere to the left a muffled giggle was heard before it abruptly cut off. Madara’s right eye twitched.

“Oh?” Tobirama asked. “What’s the occasion?”

Madara turned red.

“Do I need a reason to eat dinner??” He nearly bellowed.

The muffled giggling grew louder.

“Not at all.” Tobirama replied, eyebrow lifting. “Very well.” He finally agreed after a moment. “If you insist.” A smirk stretched across his beautiful, pale lips.

Angry screeching echoed through the compound and the giggling increased.

(Embarrassing as it was, asking Senju Tobirama to dinner was still the best choice Madara had ever made.)


End file.
